“The generation we’re in needs a Declaration of Interdependence, in which we’re all working together to build connections and achieve the Great American Dream.” This statement, from Maury Giles, the recently selected CEO of Braver Angels, at the NCL Board of Directors’ meeting, highlights the aspect of our civic engagement work that emphasizes relationships among members of each community.
Braver Angels is focused largely on enhancing relationships—and communication—among people of different political parties, geographic settings, ages, religions, ages, and other dimensions. The group’s vision statement envisions “an America where courageous citizenship is the honored norm, renewing civic culture and building trust across political differences.” With thousands of volunteers across the nation, Braver Angels offers a variety of tools for building connections and trust.
The work of Braver Angels fits well with the theme of our next All-America City Award, Strengthening Civic Health and Building Trust. In the coming year, we will celebrate communities that are helping to build a sense of belonging and trust that feeds civic health, which we define as the capacity of a community to engage all residents in problem-solving and activities to improve the quality of life for everyone.
The term, ”declaration of interdependence” probably originated in the 1930’s, when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace used the phrase as part of farm policy then later with regard to different nations and cultures. The phrase was also used in 1960’s as part of the promotion of ecological thinking, then more recently at the 1992 Earth Summit, which led to the phrase’s adoption as the core philosophy of the David Suzuki Foundation.
In using the declaration terminology, Maury Giles referenced the need for greater interdependence of people, including not only what Robert Putnam calls “bonding capital” among like-minded friends, neighbors and acquaintances, but more importantly, to “bridging capital,” among people who are less alike and perhaps less close.
The importance of relationships and trust was echoed by another speaker at our annual board meeting, newly elected board member, Frederick Riley, who leads Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute. Weave was founded by columnist David Brooks to “address the crisis of broken social trust that has left Americans divided along many lines, isolated and unable to address our common needs.” The organization “aims to turn Americans into a nation of weavers, spreading connection and belonging.”
Riley said that he is concerned about the widening political divide and lessening social interaction among Americans. “Social scientists have been saying that we don’t trust government and institutions anymore,” Riley said. “but I think the growing number is the people who decided that they don’t trust their neighbor anymore. What happens to a community where people don’t trust each other?” To address this problem, Weave is supporting organizations that are helping to rebuild trust among neighbors and communitywide.
Trust is a foundational element of civic capital as it is described in our Civic Index, and civic health depends on trust that is both horizontal—among members of the community—and vertical—between community members and government. Horizontal trust stems partly from positive,and preferably in-person, interactions among residents, and both aspects have decreased with the rise of the internet. Nonetheless, communities can help foster this trust through the kinds of programs at Braver Angels and Weave, along with block parties and projects, neighborhood groups, and other programs that promote community dialogue.
Vertical trust, between local governments and community members, can be fostered by a government that is transparent, seeks the input and participation of residents in decision-making, and shows that it is trustworthy by incorporating resident contributions in both its decisions and implementation.
Another component of our Civic Index, and an important intermediary in trusting relationships, is authentic communication, which can either be initiated or supported by a local government or by community partners like academia or community foundations. Local governments that use “story tellers,” blogs, and social influencers can help build trust, while independent sources of news and information, like a local newspaper produced by a university or supported by a foundation, can help residents stay informed about civic affairs.
We know of countless examples of communities that enhance civic health and trust and can’t wait to hear of many more from this year’s applicants for the All-America City Award. Does your community excel in this arena? Come join us by applying and becoming an All-America City! Letters of intent are due soon, by January 5.
And best wishes from all of us for the holiday season and new year!
